Nissan 3.0L (180 cu in) firing order — diagram & guide

Among all the engines that Nissan produced for its high-performance models, the 3.0-liter turbo V6 from the 300ZX remains an enthusiast’s favorite. However, the engine isn’t only renowned for that since a lot of other vehicle models used the base 3.0-liter engine due to its reliability.

With this in mind, we wanted to give you a complete breakdown of the Nissan 3.0L (180 cu in) firing order to help you keep the engine running smoothly. We’ll address some of the main questions you may have regarding the engine’s firing sequence and cylinder layout to make it easier for you with DIY maintenance.

Nissan 3.0L firing order

To give you an answer right away, the Nissan 3.0L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6, and it’s the same firing order used on more recent Nissan V6 engines. We know it sounds a bit too good to be true, but there’s a good reason why the engine has this particular firing order.

Nissan’s V6 engines of that time didn’t use a distributor system, which is why the firing order is a straight sequence from 1 to 6. However, the engine’s cylinders are in a “V” configuration, which means you’ll also have to know a bit more about the cylinder positions before applying the firing order.

Nissan 3.0L cylinder diagram

Now that we’ve cleared things up a bit on the Nissan’s 3.0-liter engine’s firing order, it’s time to deal with the cylinder numbering. To properly apply the firing order to inspect the cylinder’s spark plugs and coils, you’ll need to go through them one by one and follow the firing sequence.

So, it’s crucial to note that the first cylinder is in the right cylinder bank along with cylinders 3 and 5. On the other hand, the cylinders 2, 4, and 6 are on the left-side bank. Of course, this reflects on the cylinder positions when viewed from a mechanic’s perspective of looking at the engine.

From inside the car, the first cylinder would be on the driver’s side, so that’s the easiest way of marking the cylinder positions.

Nissan 3.0L vehicle applications

Both the naturally aspirated and the turbocharged 3.0-liter engines by Nissan have been used in a variety of models. From the 300ZX to some ordinary passenger cars, these are the vehicles that came with a 3.0-liter engine from the factory:

• Nissan 300ZX
• Nissan Pathfinder
• Nissan Terrano
• Nissan Maxima
• Nissan Gloria
• Nissan Quest

Along with these, the 3.0-liter engine was also used in the Mercury Villager and the Infiniti M30.

Our take

As the time comes to sum up this guide, we hope you’ve learned something important about the way your vehicle’s engine fires. Not only is it important to know this when looking for signs of misfires, but it also comes in handy with DIY spark plug replacements.

So, we hope we’ve made it a bit easier by clearing things up about the 3,0-liter firing order from Nissan as well as the differences between this one and other Nissan engines of that time.